In October 1958, Pan American Airways began the first regular transatlantic jet passenger service using the Boeing 707. This event was a major milestone in commercial aviation, as the 707 was a larger, faster, and more efficient jet airliner. It made jet travel popular and affordable and is often credited with beginning the modern era of air travel.

The Boeing 707's introduction made global travel commonplace and revolutionized how people experienced the world. Poets and writers began to reflect on this new reality of the 'global village,' writing about jet travel as a metaphor for alienation, speed, and the shrinking of space and time. The 707 was a symbol of modernity, progress, and the changing landscape of the 20th century.